"Guys, really, I'm fine," Gabby lost count how many times she'd repeated that line to Renata and the Doctor. She was sure it was easily more than 10 times.

And yet, neither believed her.

Renata had her arms folded so tightly that Gabby wondered if she was cutting off her own oxygen supply. The Doctor busied himself with the medbay equipment as if he was still rereading the results of Gabby's exams. Both of them looked so guilty it kind of warmed Gabby's heart that they cared so much, but it also broke her heart that they firmly believed she would be furious with them.

It wasn't anyone's fault.

After running the exams the Doctor promised Gabby, they confirmed that Gabby's DNA was no longer fully human. It now had strands of the Block-Transfer Matrix energy she touched last year in Zhe's gallery. After 6 months, coupled with the Reality Bomb incident, Gabby wasn't that surprised to find out that her DNA had mutated to include both human and black transfused strands.

"Doctor, you said that it was harmless so why are you two so concerned?" Gabby hopped off the med bed.

"Because it shouldn't have happened," he said as he finally raised his head off the screens. "You were under our watch and we let it happen."

"Guys…"

"He's right," Renata nodded. "I was there and I let you touch the apprentice when I shouldn't have. I was supposed to be watching you, protecting you…"

"Okay, stop," Gabby raised her hands to silence them both. "I was a big girl back then just like I am now. I made my choice and I have to live with it. Plus, it's kind of cool. I'm kind of like a hybrid."

"You are," the Doctor confirmed with a sigh. He rubbed his forehead in heavy circles. "You're human with a part of the block transfer matrix inside you."

"But it's not affecting me like it did with Renata," Gabby gestured to the woman. "And right now, she's a lot better even when she's like a hybrid too."

Because the Doctor needed that reminder too.

Not only had Gabby's DNA changed, but Renata's DNA now carried part of the matrix as well, the old Osiran energy and the heightened Time Vortex as well. In Renata's words, she was an outright mess even biologically.

"But I'm good now," Renata said as she felt where the Doctor's thoughts were heading to. "The worst has literally passed."

Gabby gestured at Renata again to make her point. "See? Gosh, you guys both act like parents — like my space parents!" She laughed at the brightened red blushes of the two Time Lords. "It's ironic how I kinda pass off as your daughter now, actually." She eyed Renata's dark hair. They were almost identical to Gabby's black curls. "You…" she spared the Doctor a glance, "...not so much. I mean, you kinda went overboard with the baby face, huh?"

"Ha, ha," the Doctor rolled his eyes. There was a relief, though, when he heard Gabby's genuine laughter. She truly didn't seem upset about her DNA situation and it let him breathe again. Gabby had truly become like family and after losing Donna, he didn't know what he'd do if he also lost Gabby.

"Can I go now?" Gabby asked, very much sounding like a child whether she planned it or not.

"Yes," Renata reluctantly said. She was aware that the Doctor would need a little more time accepting this new reality of theirs.

Before Gabby left, she surprised the Doctor with a tight hug. "I'm fine," she promised him. "You could even peek into my head and do that little trick of yours to see if I'm lying."

The Doctor gave her a half smile. Of course he could do that but even when he would see that she wasn't lying, he still wouldn't fully believe it. And Gabby knew it too.

"How about we wake up Amy? Go somewhere nice?" Gabby backtracked to the doorway until Renata called to her with one specific question she'd been thinking about ever since they brought aboard Amy.

"How do you feel about Amy being in the TARDIS?"

Gabby stopped moving. Her first response was to shrug. "She's cool. Around my age, so...got a bit more in common with her than…" she trailed off when she reached Donna's name. Just like the many times before, Gabby's entire face fell in grim.

Renata exchanged a look with the Doctor. They both had the same question then. It wasn't even that they read each other's mind or that they had telepathically spoken to each other since they now could. They just both knew Gabby so well.

"Gabby, is it perhaps too early to have someone new around?" the Doctor finally asked the girl and surprised her too.

"Why-why would that matter? It's not my TARDIS."

"Gabby, we're family. No matter how many times we regenerate that's not going to change."

Gabby's heart warmed with the Doctor's words. "You guys keep saying that to me…"

"Then do us the favor of believing it," Renata flatly said. "We were an unorthodox family, I know, but you and Donna were the first real family I made here."

"Same here," the Doctor agreed with a lasting smile on Renata. Gabby rolled her eyes at him. He was a lovestruck idiot for sure now.

"My point is..." Renata cleared her throat and desperately tried ignoring her warm blush, "We lost Donna and that left a deep scar for all of us. We could understand if you're not ready to have someone else in the TARDIS."

"You're right, losing Donna is going to leave a permanent scar in me," Gabby began with nothing but the truth. She'd been thinking about this for a while now and maybe it was time to say it out loud so that she could finally try to move on. "She showed me around this place. She was first person I confided in while I was here. And she was like family. She was. And it will always hurt that I couldn't save her."

"Gabby what happened wasn't your fault," the Doctor frowned in confusion at her, but Gabby shook her head st him.

"I could have pulled her away quicker but I didn't. And don't bother telling me there was nothing I could've done because I know that each of you have thought of a million ways you could've prevented Donna from touching the Doctor's severed hand." Gabby offered them a teary smile. "I know you guys too. If I could've pulled Donna away from that hand, she would still be here. That's gonna be one of my biggest regrets in this life, but Amy is not at fault for anything that happened to us before meeting her. She's like me, she wants to see space. She wants to see planets. You did to her what you did to Donna, if you really think about it."

And while Renata and the Doctor thought about it, Gabby decided to make it easier on them by explaining.

"Doctor, you met Donna once and then she waited to bump into you again. And you did. Then you met Amy as a kid and you came back for her. Maybe, someway, the universe is giving us one last bit of Donna."

"Maybe," Renata could find a smile for that.

"Yeah, so c'mon!" Gabby wiped away any loose tears on her face. "Let's show Amy something great today!"

The Doctor swayed his head, still reluctant to just go about so happily when there were things to worry about. Gabby could read his mind and shook her head.

"I'll wake Amy up!" Gabby exclaimed. "And Doctor, get that frown off your face! Ren, kiss him or something! That'll work now!"

"Gabriella!" the Time Lady called but Gabby rushed off in a laugh.

The Doctor, meanwhile, swayed his head towards Renata, his frown lifting slightly at the prospect of Gabby's idea coming to life. "Well…"

Renata rolled her eyes at him. "No." His face dropped with disappointment. She brought a hand up to her forehead and proceeded to mumble at how childish he and Gabby could be.

The Doctor's response was to surprise her with a wind his arms around her waist to tickle her. Renata laughed on instinct but fought to get his hands away from her.

"How ridiculous of you! Stop that!" As angry as she wanted to portray, it didn't come across like that with her laughter. She swatted his hands away and made a run for the doorway, throwing the laughing Doctor a sharpened look.

"I had no idea you were ticklish! That'll be great!"

Renata wasn't the least bit amused, unsurprisingly. "No!" she hissed. "It will not be!"

But the Doctor shot her a promising smirk. He raised his hands, wiggling his fingers at her. "Renée!"

"Don't you dare!" she pointed at him but as soon as he dashed for her, she gasped and bolted out of the room. She couldn't believe he was actually chasing her down the hallways, threatening to tickle her. "You're ridiculous!" she kept shouting at him.

The Doctor couldn't help his laughter behind her. Yeah, he couldn't believe it either but it was so much fun doing it. Renata desperately wanted to act like she was above such things but the truth is she was having as much fun as he was.

Renata came hurrying into the console, going as fast as she could up the stairs. The glass floor was admittedly trickier to run since it was slippery but she did her best.

"Gotcha!" the Doctor caught her by the console and laughed even more when she genuinely yelped.

"Get off me!" she exclaimed just before the console phone ring. It would put an end to such nonsense...she wrongly believed. She took the call and answered, "Hello, who's—ah!" She squeaked when the Doctor tickled her side. She quickly tried reclaiming some seriousness to properly talk on the phone…but the Doctor wasn't on the same page.

He was having the time of his life right now giving her messy kisses on her neck and cheeks while his fingers ran up and down her sides in a tickle spree. The moment for him was such a novelty after so many struggles.

"Oh, Prime Minister!" Renata said specifically as she shot the Doctor a look, hoping it'd be enough to make him stop.

It was not.

She barely suppressed her squeak after one particular kiss on her neck. "Winston! What's the, uh, the prob—" she cleared her throat to swallow down an automatic laugh from a tickle.

Winston Churchill had no idea where his phone call had led him to. He was only grateful that somebody had answered him on the first try. "Tricky situation, my dear Renata! Potentially very dangerous."

"Aha...what kind of—" Renata's entire body shuddered at the Doctor kissed just below her ear. She desperately tried pushing him away but he had a tight hold around her waist now. "What's the problem, Churchill?"

The Doctor almost laughed when he tickled her side and she hopped. It was so worth the smack in the stomach he got for it.

"Don't you worryyyy…." Renata quickly shut herself up by clearing her throat. She was losing this battle against the Doctor and badly! "We're on our way, goodbye!" She slammed the phone back in its place and whirled around, shooting the Doctor nothing but a murderous glare. "You are beyond ridiculous! You're a child! I was trying to have a conversation with a fr—"

Before he laughed right there and then, the Doctor attacked her lips with a proper kiss. It was fun leaving kisses around her neck and all, but nothing beat having his lips against hers. They were much too sweet to leave alone!

Despite kissing back being a very tempting idea, Renata still tried to bring back some order. The Doctor could feel her hands trying to find some part of him to push back but all she was doing was running her hands all over him. So he kissed her even more, making it rougher until he bit her lower lip just gently enough for her to gasp.

And she did.

And she lost right there.

The losing cry was her moan. Her arms instinctively came around his neck while he took his time exploring the inside of her mouth and just when he felt her finally give in, he pulled away. He took great pleasure seeing her eyes closed and her cheeks a full shade of pink.

Yeah, he loved being able to do this.

Of course when Renata gathered her bearings and remembered how the moment got started, she hit him on the chest. "I can't believe you did all that! Honestly!"

The Doctor laughed while she huffed and crossed her arms. "It was too much fun to stop!"

"I was having a conversation on the phone with a Prime Minister!"

"And?"

It was like Renata heard blasphemy. "And?" she repeated just to make sure she'd heard right.

"Yeah, what's the big deal? You got the gist, didn't you?"

Renata raised her hands as if to strangle him on the spot, an act that made it even harder for the Doctor not to laugh again. He thought one of her eyes was about to twitch at one point.

"C'mon Renée," the Doctor wanted to take her hand but he had to first uncross her arms and she wasn't budging. She only huffed and turned her head away from him. "It was just some silly fun. You know that thing we can do now?" She was pretty strong! He forced her right arm down after a few minutes of relentless pulling. "Back when we were on Gallifrey we had to hide, remember? We couldn't hold hands without the fear of getting caught, much less kiss."

Renata finally looked at him when those memories came to mind. Of course she remembered those moments. They were always so stressful, but they would do it anyways because they didn't have another way. They were always in hiding.

The Doctor took her hands, now both of them, and gave each a kiss. "And it took us so long to clear things up when we started travelling together. We didn't have any moments then...but now we do. We can. We can have as many moments as we want, we can be as silly as we want. We can do whatever we want."

He was absolutely right. Once again, he saw reality differently from her. She didn't even realize they had such ample opportunities like these. She just wasn't used to it. "We can, huh?" she asked with a sigh. "I'm sorry…"

"No, no, it wasn't for you to apologize. It was for you to realize it," the Doctor said, smiling softly at her. Of course she'd want to apologize, something else she was used to because of Gallifrey. "Renata, I don't think it's really sunk in that you can do whatever you want. You're free, my love. I chose to do this…" He tickled her sides, making her giggle, "Because I can, you know? What are the chances that I could've done that on Gallifrey?"

"None," Renata leaned on him with a sad smile across her face. "I'm too slow for you. And uptight. I am so uptight. Why would you want to be with me again?"

"Because you're exactly you," the Doctor said without a moment's thought. "I love you. I love you; who you are."

"Even when I get mad because you tickled me? And kissed me?"

"Yup."

Renata looked at him as if he were crazy...and he was, but not the type of crazy she was thinking of for this moment.

"C'mon Renée! Why wouldn't I love you!?" the Doctor exclaimed and surprised her with a twirl. She yelped when her back landed against his chest.

Spontaneous. That's what he was. Utterly spontaneous and she loved him for that reason.

"I wish I knew how to have fun like you," she whispered and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. "One of these days you might get tired of me and my boring ways."

"Never gonna happen! I would love to teach you how to be more loose! At least until you find your own way."

"That'll be the day," she sighed even as he kissed her hair.

"You're already a bit more loose than your last body, actually," the Doctor said as a means of encouragement. He didn't expect her to fully turn into, well, him because she couldn't. And she shouldn't. She should be as 'fun' as she wanted to be.

"I am?" Renata made a face, clearly unconvinced with that statement. She felt exactly the same.

"You tried strangling me for real. And, I don't know, you just are. I can tell, so can Gabby by the way. You don't need to change, Ren. Just be who you want to be. And I…" he moved around her so that he could face her again, "...will continue being myself. So!" He raised a finger into the air. "Expect more surprise kisses and definitely more tickling! That was fun finding out you're ticklish!"

A scowl made its way across Renata's face. "Don't you dare!"

Her face was completely adorable and the Doctor loved it. He knew, despite her endeavors, that she would never exactly be "loose", and he truly loved that about her even if she doubted it.

As much as it pained her to hear it, he had fallen in love with the most uptight Time Lady he could find, and he had zero regrets.

~ 0 ~

Winston Churchill was waiting front and center when the TARDIS materialized in his corridors. He was flanked by several soldiers all pointing guns when the Doctor poked his head out. Not seeming concerned, the Doctor opened the doors completely to let everyone else out. As soon as Renata saw the soldiers with their guns, she gasped in horror.

"Hey! You put those down!"

None of the soldiers listened but they did share a similar state of confusion. The woman had sounded so authoritative, almost like a mother scolding her children for picking something up that didn't belong to them.

"Gabby, Amy," the Doctor moved behind Renata to pull their companions out, "Winston Churchill."

Gabby immediately let out an awed giggle. "I didn't think you actually knew him!"

"What? You mean you hadn't met him?" Amy quietly whispered to the woman while she stared at Winston in utter amazement.

"One of those trips they took before me," Gabby shrugged.

Apparently, the Doctor was a longtime friend of Churchill and once he and Renata began travelling together on their own, he took Renata to meet Churchill as well. It was a bittersweet moment for they both promised her and Donna that they would take them here soon. They were a little late.

"Doctor? Is it you?" Winston was studying the younger-looking man cautiously. He had already made up his mind that the black-haired woman was Renata. Nobody scolded soldiers like she did.

"Oh, Winston, my old friend!" the Doctor went to shake hands with him but instead of doing so, Winston held his hand out like he was asking for something. The Doctor laughed and stepped back. "Ah, every time!"

"What's he after?" Amy curiously asked, watching as Winston begrudgingly drew his hand away. Whatever he wanted, he knew he wouldn't get it.

"He wants the TARDIS key," Renata crossed her arms, shaking her head in a bit of amusement. In any other situation she would be upset but she knew that Winston would never be able to take the key away, at least not with those childish attempts.

"Think of what I could achieve with your remarkable machine, Doctor!" Winston exclaimed, his eyes blazing with glee just at the thought of having the TARDIS at his disposal. "The lives that could be saved!

"Ah, doesn't work like that," the Doctor reached back to close the TARDIS doors just in case Winston felt extra bold today.

"Must I take it by force?"

"I'd like to see you try."

Gabby threw Renata an expectant gaze after that threat was made and she was mighty surprised to see Renata so calm. She still just looked amused.

"At ease," Winston eventually ordered the soldiers.

"Well thank you for that!" Renata shook her head and shot each and every soldier a new glare. "I don't want to see those around my friends!" She warned them as they began to walk.

"Is she seriously ordering World War 1 soldiers?" Gabby whispered to the Doctor but even when she asked she already had a crack of a smile started on her face.

"Wouldn't be my Renée if she didn't," the Doctor said with nothing but pride.

"So, you've changed your faces," Winston was making the comment when the Doctor moved up to walk alongside Renata who was right behind him. "Again," he sent a specific look at the Doctor.

"Yeah, well, had a bit of work done."

"Bit more than that." Renata rolled her eyes. That was such a simplified, if not a blatant lie, for what a regeneration entailed.

"Got it, got it, got it!" Amy said in a rushed manner, making both Time Lords look back to check on her and Gabby. "Cabinet War Rooms, right?"

"Yup," the Doctor said and suddenly Gabby yelled 'Dammit!'.

"Are you two competing or something?" Renata couldn't believe it even when she was seeing it.

"All harmless, all harmless," Gabby waved it off but she shot Amy a look that warned her it wasn't over.

"You're late by the way," Winston said, bringing the attention back.

"What?" Renata blinked. "We are?" She was pretty sure they put in the right coordinates, although now that she got to think about it...those coordinates could have been wrong considering neither she nor the Doctor doubled checked the accuracy of said coordinates.

I started to, she reminded herself, And then the Doctor decided to get more 'fun'.

Oh, you had 'fun', the Doctor was suddenly in her mind and on the outside he was smirking from ear to ear. He was thoroughly enjoying her new ticklish body. It'd be his salvation when she was angry with him, his weapon against her, and most importantly: his way to be silliest with her.

"I rang you a month ago," Winston told them but he didn't appear bothered by it which was something that brought up some curiosity from Renata.

He sounded worried over the phone. What changed?

~ 0 ~

Winston brought the travelers to the lift because apparently, there was something he wanted to show them something up on the roof.

"I see we haven't given up the smoking habit," Renata mumbled when a puff of smoke smacked her in the face.

The Doctor silently pulled her to him and then switched spots with her. The smoke wasn't very nice smelling. He was glad Gabby and Amy were nicely tucked behind them because the smoke was even worse for humans.

"We stand at a crossroads, Doctor. Quite alone, with our backs to the wall. Invasion is expected daily," Winston started going off. "So I will grasp with both hands anything that will give us an advantage over the Nazi menace."

Renata took that as a warning. It was a clear, logical strategy of war, but what could Winston have come up with that deserved this much secrecy?

"Follow me," Winstron instructed once the lift opened.

The group emerged onto the rooftop covered in sandbags. Amy and Gabby gawked at the state of things. It was one thing to be in the past and another to be right smack in the middle of a WORLD WAR world war.

"Doctor, Renata, this is Professor Edwin Bracewell, head of our Ironsides Project." Winston had led the pair of Time Lords up to a man standing on a raised platform.

Bracewell lowered his binoculars to wave at them. In return, the Doctor held his hand up to do a 'V for Victory' sign.

"Gabriella said that also looks like a L for losers," Renata remarked as she herself lowered the Doctor's hand.

"It does," Gabby said on her way past them. She and Amy wanted to see the sight of the city from the very edge.

The Doctor huffed at them but did keep his hands at his side then.

"I don't like them so close over there," Renata admitted once she saw Gabby and Amy standing just inches from the ledge. She started for them but stopped when a particular loud bang, no doubt a bomb dropping, scared her.

"You okay?" the Doctor asked her, stopping by her side.

Renata nodded with a sigh. "You know, I could have been here when this was happening - the past me? I moved away to New York just before this war happened. And when it did happen, I couldn't believe it. 'Again?' So many people died…" She shuddered deeply and nearly turned away from the sight. Every day there would be news reports of the dead, even if they were overseas. It broke Renata's hearts especially when she heard of the children. So many children died, most of them tortured or starved to death.

"I'm sorry you had to live through something like this...twice." The Doctor gently turned her away from the sight. Sometimes he forgot that Renata lived on Earth, posing as a human, for half of a century. She had lived through both World Wars and while she never partook in it, it was still traumatizing given their own War on Gallifrey.

"Ready, Bracewell?" Winston called to the man above.

"Aye-aye, sir!" Bracewell gave a thumbs up in return and commandeered their hidden weapon. "On my order! Fire!"

The 'weapon' fired a laser beam straight into the sky. It obliterated the German planes in a second.

"What was that?" Amy asked as she and Gabby watched the pieces of the targeted plane rain down to the ground.

"Doctor, why did that sound like…?" Renata felt the air leave her lungs as she made her conclusion.

"That wasn't human, that was never human technology. That sounded like…" the Doctor felt his hand tighten around Renata's arm. 'Stay here, please!' He begged Renata before running towards Bracewell's position. "Show me! Show me what that was!"

"Doctor, don't!" Renata called, about to run after him when Gabby and Amy caught with her. Knowing they would be close to that thing she knew but didn't want it to be true made Renata stop and bar them from getting any closer.

"But Ren! That sounded like—" Gabby exclaimed but Renata shushed her. The Time Lady keenly watched the Doctor as he demanded to see the 'weapon'.

"Our new secret weapon!" Winston laughed with triumph as a Dalek trundled out of its hiding spot.

Amy was overly confused when she heard Gabby practically screech in horror, Renata gasp lightly yet still full of horror. Why were they so shocked and scared? It looked like a pepper pot on wheels.

The Doctor was disgusted if anything. The Dalek came out painted in Khaki with a utility belt around it and a small Union Flag under its eyestalk. Even its lights on the top of its dome were covered. Was this a new form of mocking them?

"What do you think? Quite something, eh?" Winston called to him but the Doctor couldn't hear anything right now. A deep fury was rippling through his body at the moment, his mind doing nothing but flashing memories of the last time he faced Daleks.

A few weeks ago, actually.

A few weeks ago the walls of reality were in shattering. A few weeks ago Davros had him and Renata locked in prisons. A few weeks ago the Daleks nearly destroyed everything in every world.

A few weeks ago, he lost Donna.

And the Daleks were still standing.

The Doctor marched up to the Dalek and looked directly into its eye stalk. "What are you doing here?"

"I am your soldier."

"Stop it! Whatever game you're playing let's skip it!"

"I am your soldier," the Dalek continued to insist.

"Stay," Renata ordered Gabby and Amy, her tone sharpened enough to make it clear it was a true order and not a suggestion. Gabby dutifully nodded and held onto Amy's arm while Renata stormed over to Winston. "Where did they come from!?" she demanded from him. "Why are they here!?"

Before Winston could answer, Bracewell spoke up to ease up the confusing tension that had arose. "Perhaps I can clarify things here, this is one of my Ironsides."

"Your what?" both the Doctor and Renata turned on the man.

Bracewell was truly nome the wiser about the glares on him. "You will help the Allied cause in any way that you can?" he asked from the Dalek.

"Yes."

"Until the Germans have been utterly smashed?"

"Yes."

"And what is your ultimate aim?"

"To win the war!"

Renata was audibly disgusted. She actually felt sick to her stomach right now.

The Doctor was only infuriated. They could not be back, no. They couldn't hurt his friends again and take someone else.

~0~

Churchill has presented every blueprint of the 'Ironsides' that Bracewell had created. While everything looked normal, the Doctor, Renata and Gabby knew it was a vile lie.

"They are Bracewell's Ironsides," Winston insisted even when the Doctor yelled otherwise. "Look! Blueprints, statistics, field-tests, photographs. He invented them!"

"Ha!" Renata almost laughed in his face. "Invented them? Oh, no, no, no!" Her face darkened. "NO No."

Winston had the good sense to be afraid for a second, but his logic won through a moment later. "Yes! He approached one of our brass hats a few months ago. Fella's a genius."

"A Scottish genius, too," Amy chimed in with a far too cheery and casual tone for anyone's liking. "Maybe you should listen to…"

Renata settled quite a sharp glare on Amy, making her pause. "Maybe you should stay quiet on things you don't know about."

Amy felt like a child, a feeling she was beginning to get used to travelling with Renata. Gabby pulled Amy to the side, shooting her a somewhat disappointed look. Amy almost snapped "What?" at all of them. Honestly, she didn't understand why they were so freaked out by these pepper pots.

"He didn't invent them! They're alien!" the Doctor still shouted at Winston as if it would make a difference.

The revelation only mildly interested the man. "Alien?"

The Doctor heard Renata's very light gasp then her overwhelming concern. Connecting minds also meant connecting feelings and while the latter was usually good - he could genuinely feel all her love for HIM him many times - it also meant that he knew when she was scared. Right now, she was afraid for Gabby and Amy.

He reached for Renata's hand behind him, holding it tight as they both listened to the Dalek gliding in the hallway. It stopped in front of the open doorway, presumably staring at everyone in the room, and then continued on without doing anything.

Daleks would never help humans. They would never tolerate them! Renata's voice was frantic inside the Doctor's head.

He shared the same sentiment. He squeezed her hand, reminding her that they would figure this out before anyone could get hurt, then let go to continue with Winston.

"And totally hostile!"

"Precisely. They will win me the war!" Winston wrongfully cheered as he turned over a blueprint of a propaganda poster with a large Dalek front and center.

"You're going to kill us," Gabby's remark was the only thing that cut through the tensed silence.

~0~

Despite the collective attempts between Renata, the Doctor and even Gabby, Winston listened to none of them. He truly believed that the Daleks were a benign invention of theirs. He led them towards the map room just so they could see more of the 'Ironsides' at work, human work.

"Why won't you listen?" the Doctor was getting tired of repeating the same things over and over. Winston was brushing off all of his words.

"Frankly, it's rude that you called us for help and now you're not even listening to what we have to say," Renata huffed. She was trying her best not to revert back to her initial feelings towards the humans but Winston was making it really difficult.

Not all humans are naive, love. The Doctor shot her an amused glance on their way into the map room.

Renata only huffed again.

"When I rang you a month ago, I must admit, I had my doubts," Winston admitted, none the wiser about the silent conversation going on behind him. "The Ironsides seemed too good to be true."

"Because they are!" Gabby exclaimed from the back of the group. She was anxious each time she saw a Dalek just casually trundling in the hallway. "Look, if you have some reservations about these two—" she made a point at the Doctor and Renata, "—because they're 'aliens' then trust me. I'm human and I have seen what these creatures could do. They are the reason so many people have died! Amy, tell him!"

But Amy just blinked. "Huh? Tell him what?"

"What do you mean 'what?'? Tell him about the Daleks!"

"What would I know about the Daleks? I just started travelling with you guys," Amy shot them all a look. Didn't Renata just scold her because she was talking about something she didn't know about? And now they wanted her to agree with them solely because of what they thought about these experiments?

The Doctor stopped walking when Amy didn't immediately agree. Renata soon did the same and it was then that they realized just how truly lost Amy was.

"They invaded your world, remember?" the Doctor cautiously asked her, but Amy's eyes just kept giving him that blank face. "Planets in the sky, you don't forget that!"

"Oh my God," Renata whispered in true horror. What kind of trick did the Daleks pull this time?

"Amy…" the Doctor couldn't believe it either. "Tell me you remember the Daleks."

"Am I supposed to?" Amy got the idea that she was based on how everyone was reacting.

"What did they do?" Gabby frowned and took a step away from Amy as if whatever caused her to forget was contagious.

~0~

"She truly doesn't remember the Daleks," Gabby came back to Renata and the Doctor after having a much deeper conversation with Amy about the Daleks. Amy had zero idea what she was talking about and Gabby had been very thorough on the stolen planets fiasco but Amy still had no idea what she was talking about.

Gabby was genuinely afraid that whatever made Amy forget would happen to her too. She couldn't forget what those monsters did to her world and friends. "Can the Daleks really make us forget what they are?"

"I haven't heard of that truck but I wouldn't put them past it," Renata mumbled as she watched one courier Dalek trundle by them. Of course that begged the question of why the Daleks would go through that trouble.

"So they're up to something, but what is it? What are they after?" the Doctor couldn't figure it out and it was killing him. Each minute that he was still in the dark was another minute of advantage for the Daleks.

"What is she doing?" Renata stiffened when she saw Amy walk towards a Dalek. "Doctor, look at Amy…" She literally felt her blood go cold the moment Amy actually tapped the Dalek. "Oh my God!"

"Can I be of assistance?" the Dalek swiveled its eyestalk at Amy.

"Please," Amy nearly groaned of frustration. She had seen the collective disappointing looks that Gabby, Renata and the Doctor gave her each time she repeated that she didn't remember these 'Daleks'. If they were that worried that these creatures were actually hiding something, then she would just ask. "See, my friends reckon you're dangerous. That you're an alien. Is it true?"

"I am your soldier," the Dalek answered, much to Amy's pleasure. It even answered kindly!

"I might just regenerate from a heart attack," Renata put a hand over her chest where both hearts of hers were thumping madly. "Doctor, get her away from there!"

But the Doctor was watching the whole exchange thoughtfully. If the Daleks wanted to attack they would've done it already. If they had wanted to attack THEM them, they would've done it already. They were waiting for something...but what?

"Yeah. Got that bit. Love a squaddie," Amy went on. "What else, though?"

"Please excuse me. I have duties to perform," the Dalek said before moving on.

Well that didn't give me anything, Amy frowned. Before she had another thought, Renata was yanking her away.

"Don't you ever do that, Amelia Pond! Honestly! We tell you that those things are dangerous and you just willingly walk up to one and tap it!"

Amy made a face when she saw the Doctor walking over to Winston to no doubt do something similar. "He's doing the same thing!"

"You're a human!" Renata turned her around. "And what's more, you don't remember them! This isn't a game, Amy!"

Amy huffed. She was being scolded like a child, in a War room! All she was doing was trying to help them, what was Renata so mad about? At least SHE she was trying to help the Doctor out, all Renata did was scold!

Right now, the Doctor was pleading with Winston to get rid of the Daleks. He was trailing after Winston, urging him by detailing what the Daleks could really do.

"We are waging total war, Doctor! Day after day, the Luftwaffe pound this great city like an iron fist!" Winston exclaimed, thinking it was a fairly good reason why he would turn to these experiments.

"Wait till the Daleks get started!" the Doctor angrily snatched the man's cigar out of his mouth.

"Men, women and children slaughtered. Families torn apart. Wren's churches in flames!"

"Yeah? Try the Earth in flames!"

"I weep for my country, I weep for my empire. It is breaking my heart!"

The Doctor would love to argue how much more things would 'break' if the Daleks were allowed to continue to work for them. "But you're resisting, Winston! The whole world knows you're resisting! You're a beacon of hope!"

"But for how long? Millions of innocent lives will be saved if I use these Ironsides now!"

"Can I be of assistance?" a Dalek stopped by the two.

"Shut it!" the Doctor snapped and followed Winston down the room. "Listen to me. Just listen! The Daleks have no conscience, no mercy, no pity. They are my oldest and deadliest enemy. You cannot trust them!"

"If Hitler invaded hell, I would give a favourable reference to the Devil! These machines are our salvation!"

A siren sounded throughout the room, giving the all-clear.

Renata hurried to the Doctor as everyone else began to leave. "He's not stopping is he?"

"No," he muttered. If Winston wouldn't stop using the Daleks then they would make it stop.

~0~

The group moved into Bracewell's working room where the man himself was tinkering away on projects.

"All right, Prof! The PM's been filling us in," the Doctor called to let their presence be known. "Amazing things, these Ironsides of yours. Amazing. You must be very proud of them."

"Just doing my bit," Bracewell shrugged but wore a genuinely kind hearted smile.

Renata knew those anywhere. It was almost like he believed his own lie.

Amy picked up a spanner from a table. "Not bad for a Paisley boy."

"Yes, I thought I detected a familiar cadence, my dear," Bracewell remarked and shared another smile with her.

Gabby shook her head at Amy. It was frustrating that Amy still knew nothing of the true danger around them.

"How did you do it? Come up with the idea?" the Doctor asked Bracewell who looked all too pleased.

"How does the muse of invention come to anyone?"

"Yes but we're curious of where these little ideas are coming from," Renata keenly watched every movement of the man. He moved around with casualty, such cheerfulness despite the current war going on.

"Well, ideas just seem to teem from my head! Wonderful things! Like... let me show you!"

"Show us papers of lies," Gabby mumbled while the man went in search of his files.

Bracewell didn't seem to hear the last remark made as he brought back his files on the Daleks. "Some musings on the potential of hypersonic flight. Gravity bubbles that could sustain life outside of the terrestrial atmosphere! Came to me in the bath!"

The Doctor quickly took the files from him and between him and Renata, they scoured through every last detail on it. It pained them to admit that all of the details were logical. It made sense. To anyone who saw the files it would seem like the Daleks were truly Bracewell's creations.

"And are these ideas your or theirs?" Renata wouldn't mask her suspicion. If anything, she could make the man more nervous and spill the real plans.

Unfortunately, it didn't work.

Bracewell refused and did it politely so, something Renata could respect a bit...a tiny tiny bit. "No, no, no, no. These robots are entirely under my control! They are…" He stopped midway when a Dalek came up with his tea. "Thank you...the perfect servant, and the perfect warrior."

"Servant…" Renata repeated, unsure whether she should laugh at the absurdity or be even more fearful that the Daleks were playing 'servants'. If they were willing to serve humans then it must mean that whatever they needed would be grand.

The Doctor did not speak until the Dalek had trundled away. "I don't know what you're up to, Professor, but whatever they've promised, you cannot trust them! Call them what you like, the Daleks are death!"

Winston entered the room with a second Dalek in tow. "Yes, Doctor. Death to our enemies! Death to the forces of darkness, and death to the Third Reich!"

"Did you miss the part where everyone else dies?" Gabby had the same sharp tinge in her tone as Renata had. Why wasn't anyone listening to them!? She yelped when the first Dalek stopped beside her, offering her a tea cup.

"Oh no!" Renata immediately yanked the girl away from the Dalek. "Not her!"

Like a domino effect, the Doctor reached for both Renata and Gabby to pull them away altogether. Amy almost laughed at the ferocity the two Time Lords had for these things. It was interesting because no one believed them, they wouldn't give it up.

Or maybe they're just scared, the voice in her head actually made a good point. She didn't take the Doctor for a liar—

She winced. Okay, so maybe he did lie here and there but Amy doubted that he would concoct this big ole lie just for nothing. He seemed genuinely fearful and angry with these creatures. As for Renata, she actually seemed less inclined to lie at all. Gabby seemed just as afraid as the other two were and she certainly wasn't a liar.

"We seek only to help you," the Dalek was saying to the trio of travelers but the Doctor wasn't budging and letting go of Renata who, in turn, wouldn't let go of Gabby either.

"Stay the hell away from them!" the Doctor nearly growled at the Dalek. Every part of him was yelling to get Renata away from this site altogether. He should've put her in the TARDIS, along with Gabby and Amy, the moment they saw the first Dalek on the rooftop. Whatever happened next, they would've at least been safe inside the TARDIS.

And on what planet, dare I ask, do you think I would ever let you send me away? Renata's question was sharp in the Doctor's mind. He winced and cautiously glanced at her. She had an arched eyebrow and an expectant look on her face. He was to answer right now.

I don't want to lose you. That had to be the best reason he could ever give; it certainly was the biggest reason behind his logic.

And you think I want to lose you? Do you think I would want to lose you knowing that I could've been at your side helping you? I don't want to be sent—

But Renata stopped when she heard Gabby's gasp. The same Dalek was inching closer to them again.

The Doctor forgot all about logic and shoved the two women away. "STOP!" he bellowed at the Dalek, making everyone else in the room freeze where they were. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

"To help-"

"NO!" the Doctor cut the Dalek off. He was tired of this stupid game and he would put an end to it now. "What do you want!?"

"To win the war."

"Really? Which war?"

"I do not understand."

"This war, against the Nazis? Or your war? The war against the rest of the Universe? The war against all life-forms that are not Dalek?"

"I do not understand. I am your soldier…"

"Oh quit playing!" Renata called from her spot. She was barring Gabby from the sight but she wished she could pull the Doctor away from it too. He was far too close for her liking and she could feel his anger about to burst at any moment. An angry Doctor was not the best version of himself. It usually led to worse things.

True to her word, the Doctor spun away and grabbed a giant spanner off a table. "Alright, soldier, defend yourself!"

Bracewell was appalled to see his creature being banged upon like a mere toy. "Doctor, what the devil...?!"

"You do not require tea?"

The Doctor struck harder when he heard the question. Tea!? What the hell was this Dalek after!?

"Doctor, please, these machines are precious," Winston tried cutting in but the Doctor was hard at work striking the Dalek.

"Come on! Fight back! You want to, don't you? You know you do!"

"I must protest!" Bracewell said as he intended on getting the Doctor away.

"You must stay back!" Renata mimicked his tone as she tried stepping closer herself. She was scared out of her mind thinking about the moment the Dalek would give up its charade and actually strike back with the Doctor right in front of it. Theta, you get back here right now!

If the Doctor had heard her words, he sure didn't like it. "What are you waiting for? You hate me. You want to kill me. Well, go on! Kill me. Kill me!"

"Ren!" Gabby exclaimed in horror.

"Doctor, be careful!" Amy scurried over to Gabby's side.

Renata was inching closer to the Doctor but it was incredibly hard not to get smacked herself.

"Please desist from striking me. I am your soldier!" the Dalek said as if it were truly a defenseless creature.

It just made the Doctor angrier. "You are my enemy! And I am yours! You are everything I despise! The worst thing in all creation. I've defeated you time and time again, I've defeated you. I sent you back into the void! I saved the whole of reality from you! I am the Doctor! And you are the Daleks!" He was able to kick the Dalek back with all his might, taking a dark pleasure seeing it rolling into a wall.

As he stumbled back, Renata snatched the spanner from his hands and glared angrily at him. "It could've fired at you! What were you thinking you crazy idiot!" She dropped the spanner to the ground and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

The Doctor blinked when it struck him that she was right. He hadn't thought about it, he was too angry. He needed to confront the Dalek, at least to get something out of it. "Sorry, I'm sorry…" he quickly hugged her back and kissed her hair. I'm sorry Gala. I didn't...I didn't mean to scare you.

Renata just hugged him tighter. Everything he said about the Daleks was true and that's why she was terrified seeing him stand in front of one.

"Correct," the rolling Dalek had suddenly said. "Review testimony."

The two Time Lords pulled away as the Dalek played back the Doctor's final words to it.

'I am the Doctor. And you are the Daleks!'

"Testimony? What are you talking about, testimony?" the Doctor tried taking a step towards it but Renata was grabbing his hand before he took the first.

"Transmitting testimony now," went the second Dalek in the room.

"Transmit what, where?" Renata quickly asked it, not that it would answer.

"Testimony accepted!"

"Ren...whatever they're planning, it looks like it's 'go time'," Gabby swallowed hard. Oh God, would it be like the stolen planets all over again?

"Get back! All of you!" the Doctor exclaimed to the others in the room when the two Daleks started rumbling together.

"Marines! Marines! Get in here!" Winston called.

Two Marines entered the room but as soon as they did, they were both struck by a Dalek. Now everyone was listening.

"Stop it! Stop it, please!" Bracewell hurried up to the closest the Dalek despite everyone else doing the opposite. "What are you doing? You are my Ironsides!"

"We are the Daleks!"

"But I created you!"

"No," the Dalek shot Bracewell's hand to reveal a stump of wires and circuits inside. "We created you!"

"Victory! Victory! Victory!" the two Daleks collectively chanted before they teleported away.

"What just happened, Doctor?" Amy asked, unable to take her eyes off Bracewell's stump of circuits. "And sorry for not believing you by the way."

"I wanted to know what they wanted, what their plan was. I was their plan!" the Doctor felt like smacking himself. He got too angry and he messed up.

"Well, we better go fix it then," Renata squeezed his hand that was still holding hers. She didn't look upset with him even though she should've been. The Doctor shook his head but she started leading the way out of the room.

No one else is going to do it, right? She flashed him a smile on their way down the corridor.

The Doctor's hearts warmed for the tiniest of moments. Once upon a time, a long while ago, she had realized the meaning to that question and finally understood why it was that he went around the world helping people. It was at that moment that things started to mellow out between them and eventually turn into what they were today.

"Hey!" Gabby was quick to catch up with them and with her came Amy and Winston. "You guys want to fill us in on what just happened!?"

"Gabbs, pay attention!" the Doctor said, missing her roll her eyes in return. "Testimony accepted!" That's what they said! My testimony."

"Don't beat yourself up. You were right," Amy offered the only slightly okay part in all this. "What do we do? Is this what we do now? Chase after them?" She was all too eager to get into the TARDIS and stop whatever it was those Daleks wanted to do.

The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS but kept the way in barred with his arm. "No. This is what we do," he nodded over to Renata who agreed with a nod. "It's dangerous, so wait here."

The disappointment was clear in Amy's pale face. "What, so you mean we've got to stay safe down here in the middle of the London Blitz?"

"I said this before, it's not a game," Renata said, making Amy roll her eyes. "These Daleks...you might not remember what they did, Amy, but it was bad. I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of them. Gabriella?"

Gabby nodded. "We'll be good here. Just keep your comms open, please?"

"Fair," Renata agreed and stepped into the TARDIS with the Doctor.

"What do they expect us to do now?" Amy flapped her arms when the TARDIS disappeared.

"KBO, of course," Winston said and earned the two same looks from the companions.

"What!?"

"Keep buggering on!"

And so they would.

A/N:

Yes, yes, it's been...a while. Let's just say, I got caught up with work and I somehow got tangled up in new/old fandoms that I obviously had to start drafting fics for. You'll notice I have a few MCU fics/Criminal Minds/Harry Potter fics out here now. Yeah, I got very distracted. Sorry!l

P.S As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "saiilorstars"

For the reviews:

The Time Lord Oracle: Ooh, their bickering grows with each chapter. It's absolutely hilarious. Oh no way, did she really? I'll have to go in search for it and see if I can make a quick edit for this episode!

savethemadscientist: I mean...would anyone (besides the Doctor of course) be happy about ending up inside a mouth? I'd probably tackle him too. Whoops, my bad! I'll go back and fix that, thanks for letting me know! I have some plans for Elizabeth's anger but I want to finish writing the earlier seasons first. Renata will always be motherly, it's part of her core personality. It's sweet!

Guest: I'm assuming this is a question regarding my lack of updating? If so, so sorry about it!